Diving With Arraia Divers

We offer two dive trips daily and can arrange night dives at request. Due to the versatile underwater environment around Terceira, the island offers a wide range of dive sites from shore and this represents the majority of our dive sites. We also do boat dives to many different dive sites around the island. Boat dives require a minimum of 4 experienced divers and need to be booked at least one day in advance. The Azorean waters are filled with life, ranging in size from small to large. From nudibranchs, shrimps, morays and all of your colorful reef fish to eagle rays and stingrays that can grow to 2+ meters in wingspan. The underwater topography as well as the beautiful rock formations are a favorite and divers often enjoy around 25 meters visibility. Water temperatures range from 16°C in the wintertime to 24°C during the summer months. We should emphasise that we cannot promise to visit any particular dive site as access is weather dependent.

Take a look at our Price list, where you can find the best option for you! Below you will also find descriptions of our most common dive sites.

If you want to learn more about Terceira and the Azores you can visit one of the following links:

Site History & Information

Arraia Reef is located in a bay (Silveria swimming zone) sheltered from the wind and currents by Monte Brasil, the volcano of Angra do Heroismo. This dive site is a mix between a shallow rocky bottom where fish and other organisms shelter, feed and mate as well as a large sandy area that gets progressively deeper as one swims outwards from the bay.

In terms of the diversity of species that can be seen throughout the year, it is one of the richest reefs of the island; many species of the wrasse family, 3 species of rays, 3 species of morays, octopuses, large schools of fish during the summer, nudibranchs,…

In addition, Arraia Reef is located a mere 20 meters from our back door and is ideal to get used to the equipment, the temperature of the water and discover the majority of the species of the Azores.

Site History & Information

The Lidador is a British steamboat that is part of the Archaeological Subaquatic Park of Angra do Heroismo Bay, on the south side of Terceria. This 78,67 meter long steamboat was built in London in 1873 and sailed the shipping lane connecting Portugal to Brazil. It made regular stops in the Azorean archipelago, carrying both passengers and varied cargo.On the 6th February, 1878, Lidador hit a shoal which was opposite the fortress of Sao Sebastian resulting in heavy damage to the ship's hull. The steamboat wandered westwards until it ran aground parallel to Cais da Figuerinha at about 8 meters deep and 50 meters away from the coast where it can still be found.

Site History & Information

Calheta do Lagador is a place that belongs to the village of Biscoitos, a former whaling village which is situated on the north coast of Terceira. It is a combination of the amazing underwater topography plus sea life that makes Calheta do Lagador a favorite. This is one of the most well-known areas in the islands because of its natural tidal pools.

Site history & Information

Cinco Rebeiras is a village situated on the south-western coast of the island of Terceira. The surrounding coast is constituted by lava flows that originated lava arches and lava tubes. The particular morphology of this area enabled the formation of one of the most famous underwater caves of Terceira – Cinco Rebeiras Cave. It is also the site of the Union, which sank here on the 26 June 1911. Not much of this can be seen now, mostly just the boiler which is at the start of the dive.

Site history & Information

Since the 15th century, Angra Bay was one of the main support harbors for the ships that linked Europe to America and to India. Until the 20th century, more than 30 different types of anchors were “left” behind due to storms and anchor errors.The Anchor Graveyard occupies an area of 500 meters (1640 feet) width, between Sao Benedictos fort and Ponta do Farol. It is also part of the Archaeological Sub-aquatic Park of Angra do Heroismo Bay.

Site history & Information

The famous Gruta do Ilheu das Cabras is situated in the northern slope of the western islet, at about 0,3 nautical miles from the southern coast of the island of Terceira. This cave is also known as Gruta dos Ratoes (Stingray Cave) as it is almost certain to see them inside.The whole dive may be performed inside the cave, enjoying the spectacle or it may continue outside along the islets wall with the chance of sighting large pelagic fish.

Site history & Information

This relatively shallow dive is at a sheltered site, which means it is accessible to divers with all kinds of experience. It is also suitable for snorkelling.

Located in a small bay close to the Porto Judeu Fishing Port in front of the Cabras Islets, the imposing rock formations are the big attraction here. If you dive towards the west, you will arrive at a long arch that is about 7 meters wide. Here you can spot barred hogfish (Bodianus scrofa) among many other species. If you follow the corridor for approximately 10 meters, swimming between two majestic vertical walls, you will arrive at a small bay with an imposing stone staircase that will take you from the bottom up to the surface. This geological phenomenon is volcanic in origin and is characterized by a number of basalt columns that are interlocked as if they were part of a huge cobbled surface. Originating from the columnar disjunction of a large mass of basalt lava, they represent a curious geological formation that is quite similar to the famous Giant’s Causeway in Ireland.